Machine Building

Non-contact colour measurement sensors: factors to consider

There are several key factors that need to be considered before purchasing or specifying a non-contact colour sensor, including accuracy, the type of surface or object being measured, environmental conditions and mechanical set up, says Stephen Smith, Product Sales Engineer at Micro-Epsilon UK.

14th March 2017

The cost of functional safety for food processing

In 2014 in the UK, a large food manufacturer had to pay a £800,000 fine after a serious industrial accident. An engineer was trapped by the machinery while examining a conveyor belt and suffered major injury and ongoing nerve damage. An investigation revealed that this dangerous accident could have been prevented if a guard was in place on the machine. Here, Jorgen Saxeryd, safety products and functional safety advisor to ABB's food and beverage programme explains how safety procedures must be developed in food processing plants.

10th March 2017

Many threads on industrial screws and fasteners at Challenge

Metric thread forms are common across a significant range of fastener products, so that for example an M5 thread is the same irrespective of the head type or screw style. There are of course fine thread, extra fine thread and constant pitch series, but if possible these are to be avoided as their stocked range is not as comprehensive as it is for your more general coarse pitch threads.

10th March 2017

ISO/TS 15066, Robots and robotic devices - Collaborative robots

PD ISO/TS 15066:2016 has been published by BSI as the UK implementation of the international Technical Specification ISO/TS 15066:2016. The following review outlines the document's contents and considers the implications for integrators and suppliers of collaborative robots (cobots). *

8th March 2017

How to leverage e-learning in the manufacturing industry

Niklas Brundin, Wolf-Dieter Hoppe, Johan Treutiger, Carl Reiman and Caroline Dedering, all from Arthur D. Little, discusses how to leverage e-learning for knowledge sharing in the manufacturing industry.

6th March 2017

Lubrication - when is anti-seize the best choice?

The typical function of a lubricant is to protect against friction and wear but it can also be used to inhibit corrosion by displacing moisture and leaving a continuous coating on the part. When choosing a lubricant, it is important to consider the intended application as well as the environmental conditions to which the assembly will be exposed. Indeed, environmental conditions are critical to the successful selection of the right lubricant product. Factors including high temperatures, harsh chemicals and contaminants may have an adverse effect on the expected lubricant performance.

3rd March 2017

Contact vs. contact-free coding: a guide

The terms "˜contact' and "˜contact-free' are often used in relation to industrial coding, but what do they actually mean and why does it matter whether a coder is contact-free or not? Richard Pether, director at coding and marking specialist Rotech, discusses the suitability of each method in a number of commonly encountered coding scenarios.

2nd March 2017

Zero unplanned downtime: dream or reality?

British science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke famously stated in his third law of prediction that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Predictive analytics is not quite magic, but it could make a world of difference for companies who want to save costs and improve efficiency. Here, Leroy Spence, manager for the Americas at industrial equipment supplier, EU Automation, discusses how manufacturers can use predictive analytics to manage assets and minimise downtime.

2nd March 2017

Key considerations for OEMs selecting electric motors

With numerous characteristics to consider, each impacting on the performance of a motor in its application, the motor selection process can seem daunting. Lammers Exico's Managing Director Jerry Hodek offers some guidance.

1st March 2017

Single-source supply can reduce costs for machine builders

The automotive industry and other global manufacturing businesses have long espoused the mantra of a reduced supplier base in order to find assembly efficiencies and reduce costs. The real benefits are in a drastically reduced expenditure on development and a faster time-to-market for new products. The same benefits can be realised by machine builders of any size, confirms Mitsubishi Electric.

1st March 2017